hobbit

All that had happened after he was stunned, Bilbo learned later; but it gave him more
sorrow than joy, and he was now weary of his adventure. He was aching in his bones for
the homeward journey. That, however, was a little delayed, so in the meantime I will tell
something of events. The Eagles had long had suspicion of the goblins' mustering; from
their watchfulness the movements in the mountains could not be altogether hid. So they
too had gathered in great numbers, under the great Eagle of the Misty Mountains; and at
length smelling battle from afar they had come speeding down the gale in the nick of
time. They it was who dislodged the goblins from the mountainslopes, casting them over
precipices, or driving them down shrieking and bewildered among their foes. It was not
long before they had freed the Lonely Mountain, and elves and men on either side of the
valley could come at last to the help of the battle below.
But even with the Eagles they were still outnumbered.
In that last hour Beorn himself had appeared - no one knew how or from where. He
came alone, and in bear's shape; and he seemed to have grown almost to giant-size in
his wrath. The roar of his voice was like drums and guns; and he tossed wolves and
goblins from his path like straws and feathers. He fell upon their rear, and broke like a
clap of thunder through the ring. The dwarves were making a stand still about their lords
upon a low rounded hill.
Then Beorn stooped and lifted Thorin, who had fallen pierced with spears, and bore him
out of the fray. Swiftly he returned and his wrath was redoubled, so that nothing could
withstand him, and no weapon seemed to bite upon him. He scattered the bodyguard,
and pulled down Bolg himself and crushed him. Then dismay fell on the Goblins and
they fled in all directions. But weariness left their enemies with the coming of new hope,
and they pursued them closely, and prevented most of them from escaping where they
could. They drove many of them into the Running River, and such as fled south or west
they hunted into the marshes about the Forest River; and there the greater part of the
last fugitives perished, while those that came hardly to the Wood-elves' realm were there
slain, or drawn in to die in the trackless dark of Mirkwood. Songs have said that three
parts of the goblin warriors of the North perished on that day, and the mountains had
peace for many a year.
Victory had been assured before the fall of night, but the pursuit was still on foot, when
Bilbo returned to the camp; and not many were in the valley save the more grievously
wounded.
"Where are the Eagles?" he asked Gandalf that evening, as he lay wrapped in many
warm blankets.
"Some are in the hunt," said the wizard, "but most have gone back to their eyries. They
would not stay here, and departed with the first light of morning. Dain has crowned their
chief with gold, and sworn friendship with them for ever."
"I am sorry. I mean, I should have liked to see them again," said Bilbo sleepily; "perhaps
I shall see them on the way home. I suppose I shall be going home soon?"
"As soon as you like," said the wizard.
Actually it was some days before Bilbo really set out.
They buried Thorin deep beneath the Mountain, and Bard laid the
Arkenstone upon his breast.
"There let it lie till the Mountain falls!" he said. "May it bring good fortune to all his folk
that dwell here after!" Upon his tomb the Elvenking then laid Orcrist, the elvish sword
that had been taken from Thorin in captivity. It is said in songs that it gleamed ever in the
dark if foes approached, and the fortress of the dwarves could not be taken by surprise.
There now Dain son of Nain took up his abode, and he became King under the
Mountain, and in time many other dwarves gathered to his throne in the ancient halls. Of
the twelve companions of Thorin, ten remained. Fili and Kili had fallen defending him